Dancing to onderland...

It has been awhile since I last posted. Life has been keeping me busy. This announcement is a little late but I wanted to make sure my weight didn't flicker back into the 200's after I proclaimed I was in onderland. I think I can officially say that I am now in onderland!  Bye bye 200s! Hope to never see you again.

Since I last posted I mentioned I was going to go for walks as my form of exercise. In theory walking is great but for me I absolutely had no motivation to go on walks, didn't enjoy it, didn't feel like it was really helping, etc. I tried walking with my dogs, bringing music with me, walking at different times of the day, walking around the neighborhood, walking in the woods...nothing was sparking my interest. Another downside is that I am flat footed and I over pronate to a rather extreme degree which throws the rest of my body out of alignment causing foot, knee and back problems to name a few – all of which makes walking and standing an unpleasant experience. I finally broke down and decided to try a professional orthotic, still waiting for the call from the foot doctor that they are ready to be picked up.  Anyway, I found myself making excuses not to go on walks and that is when I knew I had to change directions.

I have since started talking ballet lessons again. Ballet is one of those things that I can't really explain my devotion for - I don't think of it as exercise (technically it is an amazing form of exercise.)  My love for learning and advancing in dance and ballet technique keeps me coming back - I intentionally avoid the word exercise because that word has negative connotations in my mind. I wear my leotard and tights and am somehow able to not care what the other students think. I’m aware that they are half my size and far more advanced but none of that matters because I am there for myself. I know I will never be a professional ballerina. I merely want to become the best that I can be. Ironically I have found myself doing exercises at the gym and at home so I can get stronger for ballet. The difference this time is that I am going to train and not to “exercise".  I only wish I could take ballet classes every day of the week but it is no easy task finding a studio that caters to or will at the minimum allow someone like me to take classes. An obese 28 year old at the barre surrounded by a class of giggly little 8 years olds girls apparently clashes with the atmosphere most studios are trying to obtain/maintain. The classes where someone of my height may better blend in is typically an advanced class which also doesn’t work because I obviously have not been dancing since I was 4 years old like the majority of these girls. I’ll take what I can get though as I struggle to keep up, maybe one day I won’t be the largest girl or the worst dancer.

 

When I started classes my weight was hovering just above 200. As time passes and I got stronger my weight also dropped. From 250 lbs to under 200lbs – 50 lbs gone! I continued to dance and added belly dancing to my Tuesday schedule and have seen the scale dip to 186.8 although I’ll stick with the weight of 188 since that is where I am averaging now. 62 lbs gone! My next mini goal is to get into the overweight category and out of obesity-land. I’ve been getting a lot of compliments and people can’t believe it when I tell them that I am still technically obese. Kind of funny that I’m looking forward to being “overweight" but it sure beats being morbidly obese.

Corinne,

COngratulations - not only are you doing really well with the weight loss, but you've achieved a major milestone in your realization of the importance of movement in your life.  Ballet works for you not only as "exercise" (i know, the word has negative meaning for you) but more importantly as mental, spiritual, emotional fulfillment.  It's a way that you can immerse yourself in joy.  And that's what it's all about - that will keep you going back and will keep you progressing in your health.

GREAT job!

Karen

No matter what form of 'exercise' you choose you have to find something that is fun and works for YOU. Everyone is different. After trying fitness centers and Curves I have come to realize that I love riding my recumbant bike while listening to work-out playlists that I create myself - its ME time - and I love the music and forget I'm exercising - my intensity and rate of speed coordinate with the music that is playing.

Congratulations on 62 lbs - that's fantastic!! And keep up the ballet - sounds like a wonderful outlet for you in more ways than one!

Kathy

What a wonderful post. We all need to find things that we love to do, to help us move our body. There are so many things to choose from.  Once the mindset changes from excercise to a outlet for movement joy see how much things change? Thanks for the post

Aww, Thanks! Your response really made me smile.
 
I so often hold back from speaking or posting out of this fear that nobody cares what I have to say but you showed me that just maybe something I say could be insightful or useful to others.

Just about everything that anybody says is important to someone.  Keep in mind...sometimes we say something that seems "small" to us but A) answers a question that someone was afraid to ask B) Gives hope to someone who feels lost C)  Makes someone feel like they might not be the "only one" going through something.

I personally think, with a few rare instances, that the pa forum is a very safe place to say just about anything. 

I'm not saying that if someone posts something that they are chronically doing against the program (not taking vitamins etc) that they won't be "kicked in arse" but in a GOOD way and in the means of support.

Keep on posting!

That is awesome.. I go to the gym and do a lot of stuff there, but have not found something that I am totally and completely "enjoying".  There are things that I enjoy better than others.  I definitely find that I am doing better in a class setting than working out on my own.  I think that I need the others there to   1. keep me going and 2. make me prove to them that I can keep up

Good for you for finding your niche to keep moving!!  Have fun with the ballet class!

OK WHO WANTS TO TAKE A DANCE CLASS WITH ME IN LANCASTER LOL? 

Corrine,

Soooooo much to say!  First off, your avatar is AMAZING and you look WONDERFUL!

Secondly - the dance thing - Congrats in finding something you are devoted to, WANT to do, and have FUN doing.  All absolute key things in continuing down the successing path

Thirdly - WELCOME to ONEderland!  You are a permament resident here, of this I have absolutely no doubt

And finally (but definately not least) what an awesome awesome post!!!  I absolutely LOVED the way this was written - you definately have a way with words and the ability to place them in writing.

Thanks so much for sharing, and CONGRATS once again on so many WONDERFUL (ONEderful) things!